As 2010 comes to a close, I'm reflecting on this past year and how much our lives have changed in just a few months. Billy and I have gone through some very drastic changes, and we've definitely hit a lot of bumps along the way. We've been talking about "the curse of 2010" and how ready we are to move on to a new year with new beginnings.
It's so easy for me to remember the negative things, because usually they tend to change our lives in ways we're not ready for. Our dog, Spot, died back in April. Although this wasn't totally unexpected, we both felt a huge loss from her death. She was such a sweet dog, and she had been through a lot. The day she died was so traumatic for both of us, and after we buried her in the back yard, we went our separate ways (Billy to work, me off to school in Nelson County with my 6th graders). I was so upset by her death, and I think the anxiety got to me, so I started having heart palpitations. Having those on top of being pregnant wasn't the best combination, so I ended up in the ER, although thankfully after 6 hours of tests and sitting there things checked out just fine.
In August, we went through the whole mess with Ellie's birth, although thankfully, both Ellie and I are completely healthy today. Immediately after her birth, Billy got laid off from his job at LifeWay, which was totally unexpected for both of us. We always saw his job as very secure, and even though it wasn't much of an income, it was what supported us for 3 years of marriage. It was definitely one of those moments where we both thought, "Oh crap, what now?" God blessed us with providing a job for Billy at Apple Ford, although he knew it wasn't what he wanted to do long-term. Since November, we've been trying to make decisions about the future and planning on what the next step for our family was. Miraculously, an opportunity came up that Billy was really hoping and praying for at the AMT program at Liberty, which he will be starting on Monday.
The final straw for 2010 happened this week. Billy's dad passed away. It's been a very long and difficult week for everyone, and we're trying to get through so much right now that it's been very trying. Billy has been so strong for his family in all of this, and I'm trying to be strong for him, but it's hard. We are so ready to leave 2010 in the past and move on.
There were obviously many blessings for us this year, as well. The surprise of being pregnant and having Ellie definitely top our list. She changed our lives forever and we are so amazed at how God has used her in our family. Billy also discovered what he wants to do with his life, and will actually start working toward that goal in a few days. God came through with the financial questions we had for this upcoming year and I know he will provide for us above and beyond what we can understand.
I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know that God has a purpose and a plan for us, and He is really teaching us about His character and what it means to be a follower of Him. We are so blessed, and we hope that everyone has a wonderful 2011!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Quick Break
I'm sitting here with piles of clean laundry surrounding me, waiting to be put away in drawers, plus a kitchen that needs a major cleaning and floors that need Swiffering...but I just need a quick break to sit and reflect on the week.
I can't believe Christmas is two days away! It's been such a whirlwind around here for the past week or two, and I'm so ready to just celebrate the holiday with my family and to have my husband off work. I am so thankful for his job at Apple Ford...even though it's a commission-based job, Billy's been doing great with it. He's the top salesman for the month and he'll be making a good commission, which I am so thankful for. We were so worried that this wouldn't pan out, but God always provides and it's very obvious to us this month.
Another way God has clearly shown us His guidance this month has to do with our future. You may have read the entry a few weeks ago about what Billy wanted to do with his life, and how I really wanted him to be able to start working toward his goal now, rather than wait until 2012. Right after I wrote that entry, Billy met with the director of the Aviation Maintenance Technician Program (AMTP) at Liberty, and they discussed Billy's credentials, goals, and current plans. By the grace of God, there was one spot open for this January. Billy was initially planning on waiting until January of 2012 to get started in the program so that I could work as a teacher to support our family. When he came home and told me about it, we prayed and asked God that He would show us His will and that we would know without a shadow of a doubt what He wanted us to do. The more we sat on it and prayed about it, the more God showed us that this is His will. Billy has been accepted into the program and will start school on January 3rd. Praise the Lord!
This opportunity also brings with it a lot of questions and concerns about the next year. We've been thinking and praying about how we're going to cover the cost of living with Billy being a full time student and not working. I am so thankful for the fact that I will be babysitting starting in February or March, so that will bring some income. In addition, I will be addressing envelopes, but I have no idea how much that will bring in. I also have an interview with Tutor.com to become an online tutor. I say interview, but really it's a mock tutoring session where I have to pretend I'm tutoring a student. I'm really praying and hoping that this will work out, because it will be one more way for me to bring some money to our household without leaving home.
I am so blessed to be able to stay home with Ellie right now, and I'm really hoping that I can continue to stay home with her. Not that I want to be a stay at home mom forever, but I really feel like it's important for me to spend time with her when she's most vulnerable. I want to at least be able to be at home with her until she learns to talk. At least then she can tell me if something's wrong or what's happening during her day. Even though I'll be working 3 part time jobs (if I get the tutoring job), it will all be from home and I can spend time with Ellie, which is my number one priority right now.
I did get a few deals this week, amazingly. I really didn't expect much for this week since it's Christmas, but I did find some!
Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I wanted to do a quick plug for the new Walmart on Old Forest Rd. here in Lynchburg. I went to the old Walmart earlier this week to buy some of the ready to feed quarts of formula, and the cashier told me I couldn't use more than one formula coupon in a transaction. Granted, she was correct, because the coupon said "Limit 1 per transaction." I never noticed it before, especially since I use those same coupons every time they pop up on Coupons.com and I've never had a problem. I apologized and told her I hadn't noticed it said that, and asked if I could do multiple transactions at the register. She promptly told me that no, I could not, and that I would have to go to separate registers for each transaction. She seemed a little miffed that I was buying a quart of formula for 84 cents, when it's sale price was $3.84. I told her it wasn't a problem for me to go to separate registers, and asked if I could have the formula back so that I could get in another line. She told me no, that she would have to hold it until I found a register. This didn't really make any sense to me, so I told her I was going to go back into the store to get something else and that I would come back after I got what I had forgotten earlier. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I just left because I was tired of listening to the lady.
Today, I went to the new Walmart with Billy to do a little last minute Christmas shopping and to pick up a few things, including the formula I didn't get at the old Walmart. When I checked out, I handed the cashier 2 formula coupons for 2 quarts, and she scanned them and didn't mention anything about a limit on coupons. She was also very polite and wished me a Merry Christmas. I am so enamored with the new Walmart, I will definitely be avoiding the old one.
Last thing, and then I will stop writing and get back to my chores. I tried a new recipe this week that was on Money Saving Mom, and it worked out great. It's for Christmas candy....it's very easy, inexpensive, and so good!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 sleeve Saltine crackers
1 bag (approx. 12 oz.) of chocolate chips
Lay out crackers side by side on baking sheet (edges touching) so that you end up with a large rectangle of crackers.
Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan until it's a uniform mixture.
Pour mixture over crackers (I smoothed it out a little after pouring to try to get an even layer on top).
Place baking sheet in oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes (until mixture is bubbly on top).
Pour 2 cups (or one bag) of chocolate chips over crackers and let it sit for a few minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread chocolate with a spatula.
Freeze 1 hour or until chocolate is hardened. Break into pieces (like you would peanut brittle). Freeze until ready to eat (it melts easily!).
This was so yummy, I bought more chocolate so I can make more tomorrow. I love this stuff, it's definitely a new favorite!
Blessings to all of you, and Merry Christmas!
I can't believe Christmas is two days away! It's been such a whirlwind around here for the past week or two, and I'm so ready to just celebrate the holiday with my family and to have my husband off work. I am so thankful for his job at Apple Ford...even though it's a commission-based job, Billy's been doing great with it. He's the top salesman for the month and he'll be making a good commission, which I am so thankful for. We were so worried that this wouldn't pan out, but God always provides and it's very obvious to us this month.
Another way God has clearly shown us His guidance this month has to do with our future. You may have read the entry a few weeks ago about what Billy wanted to do with his life, and how I really wanted him to be able to start working toward his goal now, rather than wait until 2012. Right after I wrote that entry, Billy met with the director of the Aviation Maintenance Technician Program (AMTP) at Liberty, and they discussed Billy's credentials, goals, and current plans. By the grace of God, there was one spot open for this January. Billy was initially planning on waiting until January of 2012 to get started in the program so that I could work as a teacher to support our family. When he came home and told me about it, we prayed and asked God that He would show us His will and that we would know without a shadow of a doubt what He wanted us to do. The more we sat on it and prayed about it, the more God showed us that this is His will. Billy has been accepted into the program and will start school on January 3rd. Praise the Lord!
This opportunity also brings with it a lot of questions and concerns about the next year. We've been thinking and praying about how we're going to cover the cost of living with Billy being a full time student and not working. I am so thankful for the fact that I will be babysitting starting in February or March, so that will bring some income. In addition, I will be addressing envelopes, but I have no idea how much that will bring in. I also have an interview with Tutor.com to become an online tutor. I say interview, but really it's a mock tutoring session where I have to pretend I'm tutoring a student. I'm really praying and hoping that this will work out, because it will be one more way for me to bring some money to our household without leaving home.
I am so blessed to be able to stay home with Ellie right now, and I'm really hoping that I can continue to stay home with her. Not that I want to be a stay at home mom forever, but I really feel like it's important for me to spend time with her when she's most vulnerable. I want to at least be able to be at home with her until she learns to talk. At least then she can tell me if something's wrong or what's happening during her day. Even though I'll be working 3 part time jobs (if I get the tutoring job), it will all be from home and I can spend time with Ellie, which is my number one priority right now.
I did get a few deals this week, amazingly. I really didn't expect much for this week since it's Christmas, but I did find some!
- I got a free bottle of Excedrin Migraine with a coupon I got in the mail
- I bought 4 quarts of ready to feed formula for 84 cents each (normally over $6 each)
- I found Ronzoni pasta for 50 cents each (used a 50 cent off 2 boxes coupon, which doubled to $1 at Kroger, and each box was $1)
- 2 free Milky Way bars (a small victory, I know, but we never buy candy and I thought, "Hey, they're free!"--by the way, I used a 50 cents off 2 bars coupon, which doubled to $1 at Kroger, and they were on sale for 2 for $1)
- A box of ready to feed formula bottles (6 bottles, each 8 oz.). These are great for when I need to feed Ellie on the go, because she can't use powdered formula (makes her throw up). Normally $11 at Walgreen's, purchased for $6 (used a $5 off Similac coupon).
Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I wanted to do a quick plug for the new Walmart on Old Forest Rd. here in Lynchburg. I went to the old Walmart earlier this week to buy some of the ready to feed quarts of formula, and the cashier told me I couldn't use more than one formula coupon in a transaction. Granted, she was correct, because the coupon said "Limit 1 per transaction." I never noticed it before, especially since I use those same coupons every time they pop up on Coupons.com and I've never had a problem. I apologized and told her I hadn't noticed it said that, and asked if I could do multiple transactions at the register. She promptly told me that no, I could not, and that I would have to go to separate registers for each transaction. She seemed a little miffed that I was buying a quart of formula for 84 cents, when it's sale price was $3.84. I told her it wasn't a problem for me to go to separate registers, and asked if I could have the formula back so that I could get in another line. She told me no, that she would have to hold it until I found a register. This didn't really make any sense to me, so I told her I was going to go back into the store to get something else and that I would come back after I got what I had forgotten earlier. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I just left because I was tired of listening to the lady.
Today, I went to the new Walmart with Billy to do a little last minute Christmas shopping and to pick up a few things, including the formula I didn't get at the old Walmart. When I checked out, I handed the cashier 2 formula coupons for 2 quarts, and she scanned them and didn't mention anything about a limit on coupons. She was also very polite and wished me a Merry Christmas. I am so enamored with the new Walmart, I will definitely be avoiding the old one.
Last thing, and then I will stop writing and get back to my chores. I tried a new recipe this week that was on Money Saving Mom, and it worked out great. It's for Christmas candy....it's very easy, inexpensive, and so good!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 sleeve Saltine crackers
1 bag (approx. 12 oz.) of chocolate chips
Lay out crackers side by side on baking sheet (edges touching) so that you end up with a large rectangle of crackers.
Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan until it's a uniform mixture.
Pour mixture over crackers (I smoothed it out a little after pouring to try to get an even layer on top).
Place baking sheet in oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes (until mixture is bubbly on top).
Pour 2 cups (or one bag) of chocolate chips over crackers and let it sit for a few minutes until chocolate is melted. Spread chocolate with a spatula.
Freeze 1 hour or until chocolate is hardened. Break into pieces (like you would peanut brittle). Freeze until ready to eat (it melts easily!).
This was so yummy, I bought more chocolate so I can make more tomorrow. I love this stuff, it's definitely a new favorite!
Blessings to all of you, and Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Gotta get this off my chest...
I figured it's been a little while since I've posted anything, so I thought I would take a few minutes of free time to do this. I haven't hit on any great deals this week, and to be honest, I went over my budget on groceries. I initially spent about $60 for the week, which is $10 over my goal. With the snow forecast for this past Thursday, I thought I should go grab a few essential items just in case, plus the ingredients needed to cook dinner for a friend who just had a baby. So I didn't do so hot on my spending this week....I guess it just means I'll have to be really good for the rest of the month!
Let me preface this next paragraph with a fact about myself: I'm a sucker for animals. On Wednesday, we had a bag of trash sitting on our porch to go out to the trash can. When I went outside to check the mail, one of the cats in our neighborhood had ripped open the bag and was digging through the trash. After my initial annoyance, I started to feel sad for the cat. It's important for you to know that this cat is missing one of his front legs...Billy and I call him "Legless." It's kind of an inside joke, but at his old house in Roanoke, there was a cat who was missing its tail and we jokingly called him "Buttless." Thus, when we moved here and saw the cat missing a leg, he was immediately dubbed "Legless." He's been around the whole time we've lived here (2 and 1/2 years), so obviously someone feeds him or owns him. I see him outside all the time, including night time, which sometimes makes me wonder if he has a home or if he's just a stray who has found this neighborhood to yield the most food. For all I know, he could have some very loving owners who just let him stay outside all the time. I have no clue. Anyway, after cleaning up the trash on the porch, I took a bowl of water out to Legless. He's a little skittish, so I coaxed him back onto the porch and started petting and talking to him. He's very affectionate, and he started rubbing up against my legs and purring. Now, I'm not really a cat person (there are only a few cats out there who have gained my affection--namely Jen's cat, Opal, who is the sweetest cat ever!). But I started to feel so bad for Legless, so I called Billy and asked him if I could set food out for the cat. Billy said yes, so I put a little dog food out for him and he ate a lot of it. Then I started to feel really bad, so I bought a bag of cat food and have been refilling the dish whenever it's empty. I always told myself that I wouldn't feed a stray cat, but I just couldn't help myself. If it had been another cat that had all of its legs, I probably wouldn't have done anything, but I felt so bad for the handicapped cat I just had to do something. So now I've kinda adopted this neighborhood cat. I think I'm turning into my Poppaw...he feeds all the roaming cats in his neighborhood, too.
Well, today I had a moment of frustration. Most of my friends and family know how Billy and I have chosen to raise Ellie. We want her to become a well adjusted, happy child who grows into a confident and compassionate adult. I think everyone wishes that for their children. We have chosen to give her a structured home life, mainly because it is beneficial for all three of us. If I don't have structure to my day, all I will do is sit around in my pajamas and watch TV. There are some moms out there who are naturally efficient and motivated....I am not one of them. After Ellie was born, I noticed how lazy I felt and all I wanted to do was sit around. I had already read several parenting books and heard countless advice from friends and family, and decided to employ the Babywise method. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's basically a feeding and sleeping method that helps your child get into a natural routine and helps with sleeping through the night. The main objective is to guide your child to eat, play, and then sleep. Many babies fall asleep while they're eating or go quickly after they're finished, only to wake up after a short nap and then get fussy because they are bored. This method helps the baby get a full feeding, then spend some time awake, and then take an effective nap, so that by the time they are done with their nap it is time to feed them again.
Billy and I have used this method of feed-wake-sleep since Ellie was about 3 weeks old. I have heard countless people tell me how effective this method is, and that it has helped their children sleep well at night. It has worked well for us. Ellie slept through the night for the first time at 7 weeks old (after her doctor said she may sleep as long as she wants at night--basically, that she didn't physically need to be fed in the middle of the night anymore), and started sleeping through the night consistently by 10 weeks old. We never denied her a bottle in the middle of the night, but we did start trying to get her to go back to sleep if she would wake up. The first time I tried this, she woke up around 6 am after 6 hours of sleep. All I did was go in, pat her and tell her I love her, turn on her nature sounds, and she went right back to sleep without crying. Other days, I would do the same thing, and if she started crying louder or longer, I would feed her. Eventually, she grew out of this and has been sleeping through the night ever since.
I have recommended the book to many friends who ask me how she started sleeping through the night so early. I always tell people that they know what is best for their child; if they don't like the method or have issues with it, you have the common sense to make the decision to stop using it and try something else. Just because it works for my baby doesn't mean that it is gold or that everyone should agree with the philosophy. It's what I use because it works for our family.
A friend of mine posted an article on her Facebook that discusses the dangers of the Babywise method. I read the complete article, and frankly, I completely disagree with the author's description of the method. I found it a large misrepresentation of the book. I won't go into all the details, but the author took a very extreme position on the book, referring to the method as promoting "child hatred" and the authors and organization behind it as "cult-like." At first, I was extremely offended. Not necessarily by my friend, who is certainly allowed to hold her own opinions, but rather by the author's opinion that people who follow this method are abusive. Anyone who knows me and has seen my daughter is aware that I am not abusive, nor do I hate my child. I was extremely frustrated by this article, and have, regrettably, spent most of my day fuming about it.
I feel the need to explain something that I have felt very strongly about since having my baby. YOU are the only person who knows what is best for your child. No one else can tell you that your particular way of parenting is wrong or "not the best" (obviously, this does not include scumbag parents who abuse their children, whether it be emotionally or physically). I don't care how you raise your child, as long as you are conscientious and compassionate. I have struggled so often with the fact that I did not breastfeed Ellie. God knows I tried, but it just didn't happen for us. I have felt so much guilt and depression over knowing that I am not giving my daughter "the best," but I know that it was the best decision for us. After what we went through and 2 weeks of trying to breastfeed without success, I knew that I could either continue trying to breastfeed and fall into a deeper depression, or I could let it go and understand that things don't always work out the way we want. After making that decision, I became a much calmer and happier mother, and I was better able to take care of Ellie. I will never publicly admonish someone else's parenting style or choices (I'm not perfect, so behind closed doors I feel like I can talk to Billy about what I agree and disagree with). What works for us won't necessarily work for you, and vice versa. Please don't think I am angry with my friend, because I'm not. I'm angry with the author of the article. Don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes. And another piece of advice...don't bash something until you've read the book, then you can hate it all you want. And to the parents who "followed" the Babywise method and their children became malnourished and failed to thrive....you should have the common sense to know your child and know when he or she needs food. This book recommends reading your baby's feeding cues and determining if he or she is truly hungry. It DOES NOT tell parents to stick to a strict, clock-dependent feeding schedule. I'm sorry, but the parents who have these issues because of Babywise: it's not the book's fault, it's your fault. You are ultimately responsible for your child....not a book, doctor, or anyone else.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I think I can get over it. I apologize for ranting about it, but I have been so upset about it all day and didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Please do not think I have issues with the way you raise your child, because I don't. Just know that I don't like people telling me that the way I raise my child is wrong or abusive, because it's not.
Let me preface this next paragraph with a fact about myself: I'm a sucker for animals. On Wednesday, we had a bag of trash sitting on our porch to go out to the trash can. When I went outside to check the mail, one of the cats in our neighborhood had ripped open the bag and was digging through the trash. After my initial annoyance, I started to feel sad for the cat. It's important for you to know that this cat is missing one of his front legs...Billy and I call him "Legless." It's kind of an inside joke, but at his old house in Roanoke, there was a cat who was missing its tail and we jokingly called him "Buttless." Thus, when we moved here and saw the cat missing a leg, he was immediately dubbed "Legless." He's been around the whole time we've lived here (2 and 1/2 years), so obviously someone feeds him or owns him. I see him outside all the time, including night time, which sometimes makes me wonder if he has a home or if he's just a stray who has found this neighborhood to yield the most food. For all I know, he could have some very loving owners who just let him stay outside all the time. I have no clue. Anyway, after cleaning up the trash on the porch, I took a bowl of water out to Legless. He's a little skittish, so I coaxed him back onto the porch and started petting and talking to him. He's very affectionate, and he started rubbing up against my legs and purring. Now, I'm not really a cat person (there are only a few cats out there who have gained my affection--namely Jen's cat, Opal, who is the sweetest cat ever!). But I started to feel so bad for Legless, so I called Billy and asked him if I could set food out for the cat. Billy said yes, so I put a little dog food out for him and he ate a lot of it. Then I started to feel really bad, so I bought a bag of cat food and have been refilling the dish whenever it's empty. I always told myself that I wouldn't feed a stray cat, but I just couldn't help myself. If it had been another cat that had all of its legs, I probably wouldn't have done anything, but I felt so bad for the handicapped cat I just had to do something. So now I've kinda adopted this neighborhood cat. I think I'm turning into my Poppaw...he feeds all the roaming cats in his neighborhood, too.
Well, today I had a moment of frustration. Most of my friends and family know how Billy and I have chosen to raise Ellie. We want her to become a well adjusted, happy child who grows into a confident and compassionate adult. I think everyone wishes that for their children. We have chosen to give her a structured home life, mainly because it is beneficial for all three of us. If I don't have structure to my day, all I will do is sit around in my pajamas and watch TV. There are some moms out there who are naturally efficient and motivated....I am not one of them. After Ellie was born, I noticed how lazy I felt and all I wanted to do was sit around. I had already read several parenting books and heard countless advice from friends and family, and decided to employ the Babywise method. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it's basically a feeding and sleeping method that helps your child get into a natural routine and helps with sleeping through the night. The main objective is to guide your child to eat, play, and then sleep. Many babies fall asleep while they're eating or go quickly after they're finished, only to wake up after a short nap and then get fussy because they are bored. This method helps the baby get a full feeding, then spend some time awake, and then take an effective nap, so that by the time they are done with their nap it is time to feed them again.
Billy and I have used this method of feed-wake-sleep since Ellie was about 3 weeks old. I have heard countless people tell me how effective this method is, and that it has helped their children sleep well at night. It has worked well for us. Ellie slept through the night for the first time at 7 weeks old (after her doctor said she may sleep as long as she wants at night--basically, that she didn't physically need to be fed in the middle of the night anymore), and started sleeping through the night consistently by 10 weeks old. We never denied her a bottle in the middle of the night, but we did start trying to get her to go back to sleep if she would wake up. The first time I tried this, she woke up around 6 am after 6 hours of sleep. All I did was go in, pat her and tell her I love her, turn on her nature sounds, and she went right back to sleep without crying. Other days, I would do the same thing, and if she started crying louder or longer, I would feed her. Eventually, she grew out of this and has been sleeping through the night ever since.
I have recommended the book to many friends who ask me how she started sleeping through the night so early. I always tell people that they know what is best for their child; if they don't like the method or have issues with it, you have the common sense to make the decision to stop using it and try something else. Just because it works for my baby doesn't mean that it is gold or that everyone should agree with the philosophy. It's what I use because it works for our family.
A friend of mine posted an article on her Facebook that discusses the dangers of the Babywise method. I read the complete article, and frankly, I completely disagree with the author's description of the method. I found it a large misrepresentation of the book. I won't go into all the details, but the author took a very extreme position on the book, referring to the method as promoting "child hatred" and the authors and organization behind it as "cult-like." At first, I was extremely offended. Not necessarily by my friend, who is certainly allowed to hold her own opinions, but rather by the author's opinion that people who follow this method are abusive. Anyone who knows me and has seen my daughter is aware that I am not abusive, nor do I hate my child. I was extremely frustrated by this article, and have, regrettably, spent most of my day fuming about it.
I feel the need to explain something that I have felt very strongly about since having my baby. YOU are the only person who knows what is best for your child. No one else can tell you that your particular way of parenting is wrong or "not the best" (obviously, this does not include scumbag parents who abuse their children, whether it be emotionally or physically). I don't care how you raise your child, as long as you are conscientious and compassionate. I have struggled so often with the fact that I did not breastfeed Ellie. God knows I tried, but it just didn't happen for us. I have felt so much guilt and depression over knowing that I am not giving my daughter "the best," but I know that it was the best decision for us. After what we went through and 2 weeks of trying to breastfeed without success, I knew that I could either continue trying to breastfeed and fall into a deeper depression, or I could let it go and understand that things don't always work out the way we want. After making that decision, I became a much calmer and happier mother, and I was better able to take care of Ellie. I will never publicly admonish someone else's parenting style or choices (I'm not perfect, so behind closed doors I feel like I can talk to Billy about what I agree and disagree with). What works for us won't necessarily work for you, and vice versa. Please don't think I am angry with my friend, because I'm not. I'm angry with the author of the article. Don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes. And another piece of advice...don't bash something until you've read the book, then you can hate it all you want. And to the parents who "followed" the Babywise method and their children became malnourished and failed to thrive....you should have the common sense to know your child and know when he or she needs food. This book recommends reading your baby's feeding cues and determining if he or she is truly hungry. It DOES NOT tell parents to stick to a strict, clock-dependent feeding schedule. I'm sorry, but the parents who have these issues because of Babywise: it's not the book's fault, it's your fault. You are ultimately responsible for your child....not a book, doctor, or anyone else.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I think I can get over it. I apologize for ranting about it, but I have been so upset about it all day and didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Please do not think I have issues with the way you raise your child, because I don't. Just know that I don't like people telling me that the way I raise my child is wrong or abusive, because it's not.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Great Savings on Photos
Geez O'Pete's, I am exhausted! I just went through a gazillion pictures and placed a huge order on Shutterfly, but I saved a ton of money! I just had to share it because I am so excited that I ordered all of this stuff and that it's done!
I placed an order that would have normally cost $120, and only spent $38.89! Here's how:
- two free 4x6 print codes (one for 50 and the other for 30 = 80 free 4x6 prints)
- a free portrait package (25 4x6, 2 5x7, and 1 8x10 = free)
- 20% off one order
- $20 off from Target Baby (gift card I got for registering at Target when I was pregnant)
- free shipping on orders over $50
- 20% off photo cards
With all of these promotional codes, I ended up saving $74.21! Granted, I have to be patient for these to come in the mail next week, but I'm willing if it means I'll save money! If I had made this same purchase at Walgreen's and picked them up today, I would have spent $91.05. Bleh!
Also, we got our Christmas tree yesterday, so I'm hoping that we can decorate it tonight. It's a super skinny tree, but it's perfect for our living room since we are low on space. I spent a couple minutes picking it out, which is a huge accomplishment for me. In years past I have spent at least 30 minutes in the freezing cold to find the "perfect" tree....only to decide that we need to check other places before buying one. So we go back and forth between stores until I find "the one." This year, I had no patience being picky and I wasn't looking for that super fat tree, so it was much easier. Plus, I didn't want Ellie to freeze her little tushy off, so I was a speed shopper.
Ellie's Christmas stocking also came in the mail, and it is perfect! Billy and I ordered Christmas stockings from LL Bean for our first Christmas, and I had to get Ellie one. They are so cute together!
That's all for now....Billy will be home soon and I need to start dinner!
Blessings.....Kristen
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Future
I'm sitting here in my pajamas being lazy, so I thought I would update. I actually started to write a post earlier, and then thought it was pointless because I had nothing to talk about, so I deleted it....now I'm starting again.
We had a pretty good weekend. Billy had a very long work week (6 days in a row), so Sunday was a much needed break, although we were very busy. We went to lunch with the Moizes....Laura doesn't even look like she had a baby lol. She looks so put together and she's in great shape...I definitely did not look like that when my baby was a week old. Actually, I had just been released from the hospital at that point and I looked like crap for the first month of her life lol. Anyway, I'm so glad they are doing well! We're taking dinner to them tonight...King's Island takeout! Love that place. I kinda feel bad I'm not cooking, but I know I would be a lot less stressed if we just got takeout...and we all love King's Island so it's all good. I think I will try to make homemade peppermint oreos and take those over. I found a recipe online, and even if they don't taste like oreos, they look really good so I think I'll give it a try. I'll let you know how they turn out!
Back to Sunday. So after we had lunch, we went to get family photos done for Christmas. I was SO stressed about getting them done. We had a good friend of ours, Rebekah Brown, do them. I've seen some of her other work on Facebook and she does a great job and has a great quality camera. I didn't doubt her abilities, but I was afraid that either 1) Ellie would be cranky; 2) Ellie would spit up all over her outfit; or 3) I would look terrible. Having a baby doesn't exactly boost your self esteem when it comes to the way you look, and that's something I've struggled with even before pregnancy. It sounds vain, but I was so afraid I would look fat and have a double chin in the photos. We went up to the lodge at the Snowflex at Liberty, and it was a perfect setting. We like the rustic country look anyway, and the lodge was just perfect. There was hardly anyone there, and it was a beautiful sunny day, and it turned out great. Ellie went for a full 45 minutes without complaining....and she didn't spit up at all! She did drool a lot, but at least drool is clear and doesn't stain clothes! Rebekah put a few photos on Facebook, and they came out great! I am so excited....I'm going to order photo Christmas cards this year with one of the pics.
After the photo session, we went to Roanoke to help Billy's mom finish moving in to her new house. She closed on the house a week ago, moved in most of the stuff on Saturday, but still had a few things to do on Sunday. We hadn't seen her house yet, so we went down to try to help out where we could. Her house is adorable! It's a cute 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath ranch style house. The full bathroom is purple, but it's actually a very cute purple. And it's unique. I'm just so happy for her that she found a new house and she can get a fresh start, and her neighborhood seems very nice and quiet. And the best thing is that she's now in the same area as the rest of the family. Billy's sister, Becky, lives less than 2 minutes away, and my dad, Nana, and Granny live really close, too.
I've been sitting here this morning thinking about the future. Ever since I met Billy, his career plans have always been up in the air. It's not that he isn't ambitious; he has MANY goals and things he wants to do with his life. He just can't seem to pinpoint something specific. It's hard for me to understand because I've always been the type of person who picks something and sticks with it for a while. I did want to be a psychologist for a while (a few years) until I felt God's call on my life to be a teacher. God called me to the field of education in 2005, and I've been on that path since then. Billy, on the other hand, spent most of his life wanting to be a pilot, then decided that wasn't the most family-friendly job, and then went toward a ministerial career. He spent some time thinking about and studying youth ministry, then talked about becoming a missionary, then a business manager, then a financial manager/adviser....the list goes on. And in between those, he's considered everything from being a high school teacher to a computer technician. I think the problem for him is that he's good at many different things. For me, I'm good at one thing: being a student. It's really the only thing I excel at. Therefore, teaching isn't a far stretch for me, because committing to being a teacher means that your job will revolve around school. Billy is multi-talented. He has a great understanding of finances and money management, he's a leader, he's computer-savvy (enough to be dangerous, as he puts it), he has a heart for ministry, he works well with his hands, and he loves transportation and technology. It's kinda hard to blend all of those things into one career. It's very important to him that he loves whatever he does. It's really not enough for him to just be able to pay the bills. Part of his satisfaction with his life comes from the feeling that he loves his job and that he's doing something worthwhile. I can understand that. With teaching, I know I have the satisfaction of educating young students in the best ways I can and providing them with the best foundation I can give. I want Billy to love his job. I know it's something that would make him happy and would fulfill him.
He's been thinking about getting his A&P license to be an aircraft mechanic. I really think he would love to do that. The problem is getting to that point. It takes a year of schooling for him to get his license, and it's a full time job without pay (8-5, 5 days a week). That means that I would have to be working in order for him to do this, and that won't start until August of 2011 (if I find a teaching position). That means he won't be done until the end of 2012, which is 2 years away. He's already gotten an Associate's degree in business management, and is almost done with his Bachelor's in business finance. He would get another Associate's degree from completing this program. And it's expensive. We've discussed it and have agreed that we will take out loans to complete his education if that's the route he takes. To me, it's worth going into debt for him to be able to do what he loves. It's not something I would go out and tell other people to do; it's just what works for our family and what we've agreed on. Plus, I only owe roughly $2,000 in student loans, and Billy doesn't have a whole lot more than that. I think the problem for me is time. I want him to get started on his dream now, while it's still fresh. I guess I'm afraid that if he waits for another year, the dream will be dead and he'll be on to something else or have no clue what he wants to do. At least right now he has a goal. I want him to be able to go out and get it. I was able to immediately go after my goals and achieve them in the appropriate amount of time. Billy worked full time after we got married so that I could finish my degree on time, and the agreement was that I would start working full time for him to finish his degree. Ellie came along, and so that didn't work out the way we thought it would. He has other ideas about getting his license, but I'm almost afraid to put them on here because I don't want my family to freak out....not even sure that they'll read this, so maybe I will go ahead and divulge. He's talked about joining the Coast Guard. That way he could get his license and have a job without a lot of down time in between. The more I think about it, the more open I am to the idea. I always told him from the beginning of our relationship that there are two things he's not allowed to do: 1) become a pilot and 2) join the armed forces. I can't deal with the time he would be away in those two fields. I am a very needy wife lol. I need my husband home every day and I need the companionship. I don't do well by myself. He has been quick to remind me that the Coast Guard does not fall in either of those categories, so it's not part of the banned careers lol. I don't know....there's a lot to think about no matter what he ends up doing with his life.
My whole life I have been a planner. I thought I was going to be a psychologist, and God totally changed my heart one day and completely took that desire away from me, replacing it with teaching. I thought we were going to move to Blacksburg for Billy to go to VA Tech, and then we prayed about it for a week (without discussing it) and both came to the conclusion that it wasn't God's will. I thought I was going to find a teaching job for the 2010-2011 school year, and then we got pregnant. God has taught me over and over that my plans aren't good enough. I've finally learned after so long that I shouldn't try to plan my life, but instead let Him decide where I go and what I do. It's so hard to be open to that sometimes, especially because I want to know right now. I know I just need to let go and be excited about the future....we have no clue what we're doing, and it's the only time in our lives when this has really happened. Instead of being frightened or stressed about it, we just need to embrace the "not knowing." God isn't going to let us die in a hole somewhere....He's just preparing us for whatever is out there in the future. I don't yet understand what God has planned for us....our prayer is that He will guide us in that direction and that we will accept it regardless of how hard it will be.
Blessings....Kristen
We had a pretty good weekend. Billy had a very long work week (6 days in a row), so Sunday was a much needed break, although we were very busy. We went to lunch with the Moizes....Laura doesn't even look like she had a baby lol. She looks so put together and she's in great shape...I definitely did not look like that when my baby was a week old. Actually, I had just been released from the hospital at that point and I looked like crap for the first month of her life lol. Anyway, I'm so glad they are doing well! We're taking dinner to them tonight...King's Island takeout! Love that place. I kinda feel bad I'm not cooking, but I know I would be a lot less stressed if we just got takeout...and we all love King's Island so it's all good. I think I will try to make homemade peppermint oreos and take those over. I found a recipe online, and even if they don't taste like oreos, they look really good so I think I'll give it a try. I'll let you know how they turn out!
Back to Sunday. So after we had lunch, we went to get family photos done for Christmas. I was SO stressed about getting them done. We had a good friend of ours, Rebekah Brown, do them. I've seen some of her other work on Facebook and she does a great job and has a great quality camera. I didn't doubt her abilities, but I was afraid that either 1) Ellie would be cranky; 2) Ellie would spit up all over her outfit; or 3) I would look terrible. Having a baby doesn't exactly boost your self esteem when it comes to the way you look, and that's something I've struggled with even before pregnancy. It sounds vain, but I was so afraid I would look fat and have a double chin in the photos. We went up to the lodge at the Snowflex at Liberty, and it was a perfect setting. We like the rustic country look anyway, and the lodge was just perfect. There was hardly anyone there, and it was a beautiful sunny day, and it turned out great. Ellie went for a full 45 minutes without complaining....and she didn't spit up at all! She did drool a lot, but at least drool is clear and doesn't stain clothes! Rebekah put a few photos on Facebook, and they came out great! I am so excited....I'm going to order photo Christmas cards this year with one of the pics.
After the photo session, we went to Roanoke to help Billy's mom finish moving in to her new house. She closed on the house a week ago, moved in most of the stuff on Saturday, but still had a few things to do on Sunday. We hadn't seen her house yet, so we went down to try to help out where we could. Her house is adorable! It's a cute 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath ranch style house. The full bathroom is purple, but it's actually a very cute purple. And it's unique. I'm just so happy for her that she found a new house and she can get a fresh start, and her neighborhood seems very nice and quiet. And the best thing is that she's now in the same area as the rest of the family. Billy's sister, Becky, lives less than 2 minutes away, and my dad, Nana, and Granny live really close, too.
I've been sitting here this morning thinking about the future. Ever since I met Billy, his career plans have always been up in the air. It's not that he isn't ambitious; he has MANY goals and things he wants to do with his life. He just can't seem to pinpoint something specific. It's hard for me to understand because I've always been the type of person who picks something and sticks with it for a while. I did want to be a psychologist for a while (a few years) until I felt God's call on my life to be a teacher. God called me to the field of education in 2005, and I've been on that path since then. Billy, on the other hand, spent most of his life wanting to be a pilot, then decided that wasn't the most family-friendly job, and then went toward a ministerial career. He spent some time thinking about and studying youth ministry, then talked about becoming a missionary, then a business manager, then a financial manager/adviser....the list goes on. And in between those, he's considered everything from being a high school teacher to a computer technician. I think the problem for him is that he's good at many different things. For me, I'm good at one thing: being a student. It's really the only thing I excel at. Therefore, teaching isn't a far stretch for me, because committing to being a teacher means that your job will revolve around school. Billy is multi-talented. He has a great understanding of finances and money management, he's a leader, he's computer-savvy (enough to be dangerous, as he puts it), he has a heart for ministry, he works well with his hands, and he loves transportation and technology. It's kinda hard to blend all of those things into one career. It's very important to him that he loves whatever he does. It's really not enough for him to just be able to pay the bills. Part of his satisfaction with his life comes from the feeling that he loves his job and that he's doing something worthwhile. I can understand that. With teaching, I know I have the satisfaction of educating young students in the best ways I can and providing them with the best foundation I can give. I want Billy to love his job. I know it's something that would make him happy and would fulfill him.
He's been thinking about getting his A&P license to be an aircraft mechanic. I really think he would love to do that. The problem is getting to that point. It takes a year of schooling for him to get his license, and it's a full time job without pay (8-5, 5 days a week). That means that I would have to be working in order for him to do this, and that won't start until August of 2011 (if I find a teaching position). That means he won't be done until the end of 2012, which is 2 years away. He's already gotten an Associate's degree in business management, and is almost done with his Bachelor's in business finance. He would get another Associate's degree from completing this program. And it's expensive. We've discussed it and have agreed that we will take out loans to complete his education if that's the route he takes. To me, it's worth going into debt for him to be able to do what he loves. It's not something I would go out and tell other people to do; it's just what works for our family and what we've agreed on. Plus, I only owe roughly $2,000 in student loans, and Billy doesn't have a whole lot more than that. I think the problem for me is time. I want him to get started on his dream now, while it's still fresh. I guess I'm afraid that if he waits for another year, the dream will be dead and he'll be on to something else or have no clue what he wants to do. At least right now he has a goal. I want him to be able to go out and get it. I was able to immediately go after my goals and achieve them in the appropriate amount of time. Billy worked full time after we got married so that I could finish my degree on time, and the agreement was that I would start working full time for him to finish his degree. Ellie came along, and so that didn't work out the way we thought it would. He has other ideas about getting his license, but I'm almost afraid to put them on here because I don't want my family to freak out....not even sure that they'll read this, so maybe I will go ahead and divulge. He's talked about joining the Coast Guard. That way he could get his license and have a job without a lot of down time in between. The more I think about it, the more open I am to the idea. I always told him from the beginning of our relationship that there are two things he's not allowed to do: 1) become a pilot and 2) join the armed forces. I can't deal with the time he would be away in those two fields. I am a very needy wife lol. I need my husband home every day and I need the companionship. I don't do well by myself. He has been quick to remind me that the Coast Guard does not fall in either of those categories, so it's not part of the banned careers lol. I don't know....there's a lot to think about no matter what he ends up doing with his life.
My whole life I have been a planner. I thought I was going to be a psychologist, and God totally changed my heart one day and completely took that desire away from me, replacing it with teaching. I thought we were going to move to Blacksburg for Billy to go to VA Tech, and then we prayed about it for a week (without discussing it) and both came to the conclusion that it wasn't God's will. I thought I was going to find a teaching job for the 2010-2011 school year, and then we got pregnant. God has taught me over and over that my plans aren't good enough. I've finally learned after so long that I shouldn't try to plan my life, but instead let Him decide where I go and what I do. It's so hard to be open to that sometimes, especially because I want to know right now. I know I just need to let go and be excited about the future....we have no clue what we're doing, and it's the only time in our lives when this has really happened. Instead of being frightened or stressed about it, we just need to embrace the "not knowing." God isn't going to let us die in a hole somewhere....He's just preparing us for whatever is out there in the future. I don't yet understand what God has planned for us....our prayer is that He will guide us in that direction and that we will accept it regardless of how hard it will be.
Blessings....Kristen
Friday, December 3, 2010
December is Here...
So today I did a little makeover to my blog. I love changing things up, so this won't be the last time I change the background.
I spent $43 on groceries this week. In my initial grocery shopping trip I spent $28, which was on all the essentials for the week. I went back to Kroger yesterday to pick up some ingredients for a recipe I found, and most of the ingredients were things I don't keep on hand, so I spent $15 in that trip. I probably could have found better deals, but Ellie was crying and carrying on so I just raced through the baking aisle until I got what I needed and then I zoomed out of there.
So yesterday I made homemade marshmallows. I found a recipe for them on Money Saving Mom and thought that it would be something different to try. I've never heard of making homemade marshmallows...I didn't even know it was possible. But I decided to give it a try.
The recipe is pretty simple, but WARNING: it makes a huge mess! It's the messiest thing I've ever made, but it was fun and they came out well I think. The woman who demonstrates how to do this did a great job in explaining the process step by step and even includes a video to show what each stage should look like. This was immensely helpful to me, since I am not a great cook or baker, and it really helps to be able to see what each stage should look like. You can visit her website here and view the recipe and video at your own leisure if you would like to try this out. By the way, she made peppermint marshmallows, which is what I decided to make yesterday, but you can always omit the peppermint or add something else.
I will give a brief rundown of the recipe with some pictures from yesterday. You need several ingredients for this that you may not keep on a regular basis. This is what I purchased yesterday:
I first poured some water and the 3 gelatin packets in a bowl and let that dissolve. Meanwhile, I mixed 2 cups of sugar, some water, and corn syrup in a pot on the stove and brought that to a rolling boil for one minute. This is what that looked like:
After sitting for 4 hours, I used my kitchen scissors to cut the marshmallows. I mixed powdered sugar and a little cornstarch together in a bowl, coated the scissor blades, and cut the marshmallows into cubes. I threw each marshmallow into the bowl of sugar and cornstarch, making sure to coat it completely so that it wouldn't be sticky. This is the final product:
All in all, it was a fun experience and definitely something I've never tried before. This recipe passed the taste test (Billy and I) and I think I will use it again in the future.
Last month I talked about setting monthly goals for myself. For November, I made it my goal to make a dinner calendar and stick to it as closely as possible, which was a huge success! We've eaten fast food once in the past month (compared to at least twice a week in the past) and we've stuck to our one date night a week. I am continuing this indefinitely. It has been a huge help for me to have a calendar that dictates what we will eat each night so that there is no question about what we will have for dinner.
My plan for the month of December was to create a cleaning schedule that spells out what I will clean on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis so that I can have an easier time remembering what needs to be done around the house. It's already December 3rd and I haven't had time to get started on this, so I think I will leave it for January. I've been brainstorming what to do this month and I think I might just stick with the theme of trying new recipes. I've been thinking a lot about Christmas and how to cut down on my spending, and I've been researching how to make homemade gifts to give to people. I enjoy making things, and since I have more free time as a stay at home mom I think I can devote some energy to this. If you are in my family and you are reading this, sorry in advance if you don't like my homemade gifts lol. So the goal for December: try some new recipes, and make some homemade gifts!
I think that's it for now...Ellie is starting to fuss so I guess I will see what she's up to.
Blessings.....Kristen
Friday, November 26, 2010
Post-Thanksgiving Laziness
The past 24 hours have been super busy...I'm almost sort of glad that Thanksgiving is over so that we can move on to Christmas! I got up yesterday morning and made homemade macaroni and cheese. It's definitely not hard to make, but is somewhat time consuming and it's kind of hard to juggle boiling noodles, a mixture you have to constantly stir, and a baby who's spitting up EVERYWHERE. Billy fed Ellie yesterday morning, and after drinking about two ounces she did a major spit up...basically everything she'd eaten so far, and of course it was all over Billy. This in itself is not an anomaly; I would classify Ellie as a spitter anyway and it's very normal for her to spit up a lot throughout the day. However, we did find a tiny speck of blood in her spit up. Of course I started freaking out and panicking. Under normal circumstances I would call the doctor's office, but since it was a holiday they were obviously closed. I really did not want to go to the hospital, especially if it wasn't a big deal, so we decided to wait and see how she did after taking the rest of her bottle. She drank the rest just fine without any issues, and the rest of the day she didn't have any blood in her spit up. I think it was bloody mucus from her nose and it got down in her stomach contents and then came up when she spit up (Billy thoroughly examined the nastiness...I watched from the sidelines lol). The blood was like a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of her spit up, and since she didn't show any other problems yesterday we're assuming she's fine. Plus, the air is so dry now that it's cold outside, and I think it's been irritating her nasal passages. It may be time to invest in a humidifier for her room.
Other than that drama, the mac n cheese turned out fine and we made it to Thanksgiving on time, which never happens. We went to Billy's aunt's house first and ate with his family and my Granny and Poppaw, which was a lot of fun. Ellie slept the whole time, which I was so thankful for. Last Sunday we visited with family and she was so cranky the whole day and hardly got a good nap, so I came armed with the portable swing this time (and it worked!). After Thanksgiving with his family, we went to my other grandparent's house and had dinner with my family on my mom's side. It was a very peaceful evening and a good end to the day. Billy and I made it home around 8:00 last night. I relaxed the rest of the evening after Ellie went to bed, and poor Billy cleaned our bathroom.
The other day he opened up the sink cabinet in our bathroom and found a bunch of mold (so glad I didn't see that because I probably would have thrown up!). After cleaning everything thoroughly, he went and bought a new sink and base. The new one is smaller, which is kind of hard for me to get used to. The old one was small, too, but this one is even smaller. It's a very cute sink, though, and I think once we finish the other updates in the bathroom I'll be pleased with it. Anyway, he installed the new sink and plumbing two nights ago. Last night, he used ammonia to clean all over our bathroom, which was very pungent but I am so thankful that he did that. We both have a love/hate relationship with our bathroom. I love my shower curtain and shower walls/shelves, and I love that Billy took out the window in the shower (who ever thought putting a window in a shower was a good idea?!). I also love the floor he put in, and the new sink is very cute. But I HATE the walls. They used to be wallpapered and Billy removed all of that. Underneath the wall looked like crap. It's very uneven, so he had to patch a lot, but you can still tell where it looked cruddy. We have a plan for texturing (not sure that this is a word) the walls so it looks better, but who knows when we will have time for that.
A friend of mine had a baby boy this morning. We haven't seen him yet except for a texted picture, but he is so handsome. After reading another friend's blog, I realized that I have such a precious gift in my daughter and that I should realize how blessed I am. She is an active, vocal, and sometimes dramatic baby (hmm...do we have a potential wild child on our hands?), but she is mine (and Billy's) and she could have died in the situation we were put in with her birth. I could have died, too. I am so thankful to be alive and to have a healthy, beautiful, "petite" daughter. She is my unique little girl and I love her so much. She has the sweetest smiles that just melt my heart...what would I do without her? Even though we didn't plan on having a baby yet, and I was really freaked out when we found out we were having a baby, she is the greatest blessing Billy and I have experienced as a couple. I am so thankful God chose us to be her parents.
Now that I'm all emotional (must be these darn hormones!), let's talk about other things. Billy's 23rd birthday is in a few days (December 1st) and I so hope that he will have a good day. He hasn't had the greatest birthdays in the past due to other circumstances, but I really hope that it will be a good one this year. We are going out with family on Tuesday the 30th to celebrate...his present will be arriving in the mail today. I won't say what it is just in case he reads this, but I really hope he'll like it...I kinda went out on a limb on this one so I'm not sure how it will go over, but we'll keep our fingers crossed that he likes it!
As far as my grocery shopping this week, I spent $25. Not a huge accomplishment considering I didn't have to buy a whole lot, but at least we're not spending much! I didn't work hard to get a lot of deals this week. I figured since it was a holiday I could take a break! I did buy some Dove body wash at Walgreen's. That stuff is expensive! I haven't bought any in a really long time because I've been stocked up, but I just never remember it being so pricey. I normally wouldn't be a name brand person, but I have had major acne problems in the past (on my back and chest) and this is one soap that seems to help my skin. I used to use Bath and Body Works stuff, but realized that it was contributing to my acne problems so I had to quit using it. I tried Dove because it's supposed to not leave a lot of soap residue, which could be contributing to my skin problems, and once I saw that it helped I haven't switched to anything else yet. Anyway, so that was priced at $8.99 and I had a $1 manufacturer's coupon, plus $3 in Register Rewards, so I spent about $5 on it. At Target, I bought Shelley's dog food and got a pretty good deal. She eats Purina Dog Chow, which we normally buy at Sam's Club. There, you get a 50 pound bag for around $20. This week at Target they had a 48 pound bag on sale for about $22, and then I used a $2 manufacturer's coupon. This was another gift card deal, so I got a $5 gift card for buying the bag of dog food, so it's like spending $15, which worked out to be cheaper than the food at Sam's Club. I also bought 2 packages of Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough in separate transactions. In the first, I used a $1 manufacturer's coupon and got a print out coupon from the register (these are called catalinas, I think). I then used another $1 manufacturer's coupon on the second package plus the $1 catalina coupon and got if for a few cents.
That's all for me, I will now try to find something productive to do around the house until Ellie wakes up!
Kristen
Other than that drama, the mac n cheese turned out fine and we made it to Thanksgiving on time, which never happens. We went to Billy's aunt's house first and ate with his family and my Granny and Poppaw, which was a lot of fun. Ellie slept the whole time, which I was so thankful for. Last Sunday we visited with family and she was so cranky the whole day and hardly got a good nap, so I came armed with the portable swing this time (and it worked!). After Thanksgiving with his family, we went to my other grandparent's house and had dinner with my family on my mom's side. It was a very peaceful evening and a good end to the day. Billy and I made it home around 8:00 last night. I relaxed the rest of the evening after Ellie went to bed, and poor Billy cleaned our bathroom.
The other day he opened up the sink cabinet in our bathroom and found a bunch of mold (so glad I didn't see that because I probably would have thrown up!). After cleaning everything thoroughly, he went and bought a new sink and base. The new one is smaller, which is kind of hard for me to get used to. The old one was small, too, but this one is even smaller. It's a very cute sink, though, and I think once we finish the other updates in the bathroom I'll be pleased with it. Anyway, he installed the new sink and plumbing two nights ago. Last night, he used ammonia to clean all over our bathroom, which was very pungent but I am so thankful that he did that. We both have a love/hate relationship with our bathroom. I love my shower curtain and shower walls/shelves, and I love that Billy took out the window in the shower (who ever thought putting a window in a shower was a good idea?!). I also love the floor he put in, and the new sink is very cute. But I HATE the walls. They used to be wallpapered and Billy removed all of that. Underneath the wall looked like crap. It's very uneven, so he had to patch a lot, but you can still tell where it looked cruddy. We have a plan for texturing (not sure that this is a word) the walls so it looks better, but who knows when we will have time for that.
A friend of mine had a baby boy this morning. We haven't seen him yet except for a texted picture, but he is so handsome. After reading another friend's blog, I realized that I have such a precious gift in my daughter and that I should realize how blessed I am. She is an active, vocal, and sometimes dramatic baby (hmm...do we have a potential wild child on our hands?), but she is mine (and Billy's) and she could have died in the situation we were put in with her birth. I could have died, too. I am so thankful to be alive and to have a healthy, beautiful, "petite" daughter. She is my unique little girl and I love her so much. She has the sweetest smiles that just melt my heart...what would I do without her? Even though we didn't plan on having a baby yet, and I was really freaked out when we found out we were having a baby, she is the greatest blessing Billy and I have experienced as a couple. I am so thankful God chose us to be her parents.
Now that I'm all emotional (must be these darn hormones!), let's talk about other things. Billy's 23rd birthday is in a few days (December 1st) and I so hope that he will have a good day. He hasn't had the greatest birthdays in the past due to other circumstances, but I really hope that it will be a good one this year. We are going out with family on Tuesday the 30th to celebrate...his present will be arriving in the mail today. I won't say what it is just in case he reads this, but I really hope he'll like it...I kinda went out on a limb on this one so I'm not sure how it will go over, but we'll keep our fingers crossed that he likes it!
As far as my grocery shopping this week, I spent $25. Not a huge accomplishment considering I didn't have to buy a whole lot, but at least we're not spending much! I didn't work hard to get a lot of deals this week. I figured since it was a holiday I could take a break! I did buy some Dove body wash at Walgreen's. That stuff is expensive! I haven't bought any in a really long time because I've been stocked up, but I just never remember it being so pricey. I normally wouldn't be a name brand person, but I have had major acne problems in the past (on my back and chest) and this is one soap that seems to help my skin. I used to use Bath and Body Works stuff, but realized that it was contributing to my acne problems so I had to quit using it. I tried Dove because it's supposed to not leave a lot of soap residue, which could be contributing to my skin problems, and once I saw that it helped I haven't switched to anything else yet. Anyway, so that was priced at $8.99 and I had a $1 manufacturer's coupon, plus $3 in Register Rewards, so I spent about $5 on it. At Target, I bought Shelley's dog food and got a pretty good deal. She eats Purina Dog Chow, which we normally buy at Sam's Club. There, you get a 50 pound bag for around $20. This week at Target they had a 48 pound bag on sale for about $22, and then I used a $2 manufacturer's coupon. This was another gift card deal, so I got a $5 gift card for buying the bag of dog food, so it's like spending $15, which worked out to be cheaper than the food at Sam's Club. I also bought 2 packages of Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough in separate transactions. In the first, I used a $1 manufacturer's coupon and got a print out coupon from the register (these are called catalinas, I think). I then used another $1 manufacturer's coupon on the second package plus the $1 catalina coupon and got if for a few cents.
That's all for me, I will now try to find something productive to do around the house until Ellie wakes up!
Kristen
Monday, November 22, 2010
Just Needing to Vent...
This entry has nothing to do with saving money or couponing. I am just really worried and frustrated over some things and need to vent about it for a few minutes.
First, we got something in the mail today saying that we owe Centra Health $5,000 and that this balance is being turned over to a debt collector. Of course, that was very worrying to us because we take great care to make good credit decisions so that we can maintain a good credit score. Plus, we never got a bill from Centra for that amount, and Billy had already set up a payment plan to pay off our medical debt. Fortunately, he was able to straighten out that situation and it was just a mistake; they told us to disregard the letter.
Second, our insurance company sent us a letter saying that Ellie and I were dropped as of 10/31/10. When Billy lost his job back in September, they told him that he would have full severance pay and insurance coverage until the end of the year, which included the family insurance plan he was paying for out of his paycheck. Fortunately, we haven't had any doctor appointments this month, so we haven't had any problems. However, it's really frustrating that they would drop Ellie and I (not Billy) when they told him that he would maintain coverage on our family until the end of the year. He is currently working on that situation and is trying to figure out what happened. We have had other problems with our insurance company in the past, and recently they refused to refill Ellie's prescriptions because it wasn't authorized until it had been a full month since her last refill. I understand the policy, but they don't give me enough medicine for Ellie to last a full month, so what is she supposed to do for that extra week or so? Fortunately, Walgreen's was able to communicate with the insurance company and got it straightened out for this month, but I wonder what they will do next time.
I don't want to get all woe-is-me and throw a pity party for myself, but sometimes I really wonder why it's one thing on top of another this year. First, it was Ellie's birth and my health problems, then Billy lost his job, and now Ellie and I don't have insurance. I trust that it will all work out; it usually does. But I just hate how things have to be so hard sometimes when we've already been through a lot. But you know, I was just telling Billy last night that I'm grateful that God put me through all of that with eclampsia and HELLP syndrome, because it really made me so much closer to Him and made me grateful for life, which is so fleeting and I used to take it for granted. I really need to remember that there is no reason to worry at this point, at least until Billy talks to LifeWay and the insurance company to figure out what happened. He can certainly put us on insurance through his new job, we just weren't planning on it until January 1st after our old insurance was gone. It's not like a life or death situation, so I need to just chill I think, and realize that there are way worse things that could be happening. I am definitely thinking about Philippians 4:4-7, and just trying to focus on God's promises:
First, we got something in the mail today saying that we owe Centra Health $5,000 and that this balance is being turned over to a debt collector. Of course, that was very worrying to us because we take great care to make good credit decisions so that we can maintain a good credit score. Plus, we never got a bill from Centra for that amount, and Billy had already set up a payment plan to pay off our medical debt. Fortunately, he was able to straighten out that situation and it was just a mistake; they told us to disregard the letter.
Second, our insurance company sent us a letter saying that Ellie and I were dropped as of 10/31/10. When Billy lost his job back in September, they told him that he would have full severance pay and insurance coverage until the end of the year, which included the family insurance plan he was paying for out of his paycheck. Fortunately, we haven't had any doctor appointments this month, so we haven't had any problems. However, it's really frustrating that they would drop Ellie and I (not Billy) when they told him that he would maintain coverage on our family until the end of the year. He is currently working on that situation and is trying to figure out what happened. We have had other problems with our insurance company in the past, and recently they refused to refill Ellie's prescriptions because it wasn't authorized until it had been a full month since her last refill. I understand the policy, but they don't give me enough medicine for Ellie to last a full month, so what is she supposed to do for that extra week or so? Fortunately, Walgreen's was able to communicate with the insurance company and got it straightened out for this month, but I wonder what they will do next time.
I don't want to get all woe-is-me and throw a pity party for myself, but sometimes I really wonder why it's one thing on top of another this year. First, it was Ellie's birth and my health problems, then Billy lost his job, and now Ellie and I don't have insurance. I trust that it will all work out; it usually does. But I just hate how things have to be so hard sometimes when we've already been through a lot. But you know, I was just telling Billy last night that I'm grateful that God put me through all of that with eclampsia and HELLP syndrome, because it really made me so much closer to Him and made me grateful for life, which is so fleeting and I used to take it for granted. I really need to remember that there is no reason to worry at this point, at least until Billy talks to LifeWay and the insurance company to figure out what happened. He can certainly put us on insurance through his new job, we just weren't planning on it until January 1st after our old insurance was gone. It's not like a life or death situation, so I need to just chill I think, and realize that there are way worse things that could be happening. I am definitely thinking about Philippians 4:4-7, and just trying to focus on God's promises:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Lesson Learned
So I made chili last night. I used Betty Crocker's recipe, which was pretty simple and easy. Now, I knew beforehand that Billy does not like beans. Period. The only beans he will eat willingly are green beans, which don't even count. I do make a Santa Fe soup which is basically a three-bean soup, containing pintos, kidney beans, and black beans, but he will eat that just fine because the soup is so spicy you can't really taste the "bean" flavor. So I was hoping this would work out with chili, too, because I love chili on a cold night. I was very wrong. He ate a bowl and a half, I think of out courtesy to me, but I could tell he was not thrilled. He said it had too many beans in it. Oh well, I tried. I did learn that if I make corn bread in a pie pan instead of a muffin pan it turns out WAY better and it doesn't make as much of a mess. So one failure and one success in the same meal!
On a high note, I visited Money Saving Mom today and found a Hallmark offer for moms. If you are a mom of at least one child and you are willing to fill out some basic information, you can get a $10 off coupon to any Hallmark store. There is this item that I have been wanting since last year called a Pupper-Weight. It sounds goofy, but our front door will not stay open without a door stopper of some kind, and we've been using a cheap Walmart candle as a door stopper since we moved in. I've always said in the back of my mind that I really wanted to get a door stopper that looked like a yellow lab, and Billy searched high and low for one to give me last Christmas, but couldn't find one. I finally found them, which they happen to sell at Hallmark, but I didn't want to pay $11 for something frivolous, so I put it on my Christmas list. After getting the coupon, I decided to go buy my Pupper-Weight, which I paid $1.50 for. Yay!
It's actually supposed to be a golden retriever rather than a lab, but I thought it looked more like Shelley than the lab did. I am very excited about it!
On a high note, I visited Money Saving Mom today and found a Hallmark offer for moms. If you are a mom of at least one child and you are willing to fill out some basic information, you can get a $10 off coupon to any Hallmark store. There is this item that I have been wanting since last year called a Pupper-Weight. It sounds goofy, but our front door will not stay open without a door stopper of some kind, and we've been using a cheap Walmart candle as a door stopper since we moved in. I've always said in the back of my mind that I really wanted to get a door stopper that looked like a yellow lab, and Billy searched high and low for one to give me last Christmas, but couldn't find one. I finally found them, which they happen to sell at Hallmark, but I didn't want to pay $11 for something frivolous, so I put it on my Christmas list. After getting the coupon, I decided to go buy my Pupper-Weight, which I paid $1.50 for. Yay!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Learning the Art of Encouragement
This has been a fairly busy week for me. I did a lot of shopping, visited with some friends and family, and learned a few things along the way. For this entry, I will have to break this up into sections just to keep my own sanity.
Shopping:
I had great success this week with finding more deals at Target. I already told you about my Glade holiday scents purchase where I got a $5 gift card for buying 5 products. In this week's ad, there was an offer for a free $10 gift card for any new or transferred prescription. I've been using Walgreen's for my prescription just because of the convenience, but I pay more there than I used to at Walmart. I wasn't completely sure if it would be cheaper at Target, but I figured it couldn't be any more expensive, so I transferred my prescription in order to get the $10 gift card. It turns out that my prescription is $2 cheaper at Target and they have the actual medicine I was prescribed instead of a similar one, which is what Walgreen's was giving me. So I paid $9 for my medicine and got a $10 gift card. I was very excited!
I read on Money Saving Mom about a Target coupon for $10 off 3 pairs of pajama bottoms. If you aren't familiar with Target coupons, you can visit their coupons website here. Target offers both store and manufacturer coupons on their website, which you can then print from your computer (much like Coupons.com). So I was at Target last night to pick up my prescription, and I just happened to look around the store for a while before leaving. I noticed there were a lot of pajamas on clearance, some of which were long pants (I had read about someone getting a great deal on clearance shorts with the coupon, but I wasn't interested in buying shorts this late in the year). After realizing that the pants were decently priced, I went home, printed the coupon, and went back to Target (I was determined to get this over with!). The pants were originally $9.99 each, on sale for $6.89 each. I used the $10 off 3 pairs coupon, and ended up paying $3.83 for each pair. Remember the gift cards I got this week? I used those to pay for my purchase. So in all, I actually got these pants for free with my gift cards from Target, but even if I did pay for them, I got 3 pairs of pajama pants for $11.49. I love pajamas and really wanted some new ones...and I definitely like the flannel/cotton kind. I felt very accomplished with my purchase.
I bought groceries Monday night, and spent $40. I got all the basic necessities for the week (milk, bread, etc.) and also bought a few things for next month. Kroger had the Stouffer's frozen lasagnas on sale for $5 each (usually they're closer to $7), and I used a $2 off coupon if you bought two, so I bought 2 lasagnas for $4 each. It's sad, but the few times I've made homemade lasagna it's taken so much time and it hasn't even been that great. Therefore, lasagna is our easy-dinner night. So I've got those in the freezer for either my monthly meal plan or an emergency dinner night. I also bought a bag of Ore-Ida hash browns for next month, since I make the Cheesy Potato Casserole at least once a month, and they were on sale this week. I also saved 10 cents on gas again this week because of the Kroger fuel points...but I still paid $2.64 per gallon. It's amazing how expensive gas is!
Cooking:
This week as I was making the Chicken & Rice Bake for dinner, I realized that I often grow very fond of certain items in my kitchen. Last week I discovered the glories of Nutella, which I am still having a love affair with. This week, I decided my favorite item of the week is Cavender's Greek seasoning. My Poppaw introduced me to it...I really don't know where he bought it, since I couldn't find it when I went grocery shopping, but it must be at either Food Lion or Kroger, since those are his favorite places to shop. I really like meat to be seasoned with something...I used to be a plain Jane when it came to food, and now I really enjoy full flavors. This seasoning is great on just about everything...chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, etc. I really like it on chicken and potatoes. It's a basic all-purpose seasoning, containing salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, and some other stuff which they don't divulge on the label ("five other spices" is all it says...so if you have any allergies, I wouldn't recommend it). Anyway, this stuff is great (a little spicy in excess, which is what I prefer), so if you're looking for something new that can stand on its own in the world of seasonings, this is it.
Academic:
Even though I graduated back in May, I am still involved in attempting to publish a rewritten version of my Honors thesis. It's a long story, but basically my committee chair for my thesis decided it would be a good idea for me to adapt what I had written into a journal article and either present it at a state conference or publish it in an academic journal. We worked on it all through student teaching, which was difficult for me to balance, but we finally came up with something and submitted it to a journal. My thesis was originally written on teaching reading comprehension skills to students in the elementary grade levels. I love reading, and I am very passionate about helping others learn to love it, too. My thesis wasn't anything new; it was really a culmination of many different strategies that can be used with young students to help develop comprehension skills. I myself never really had a problem with this as a student, but I remember doing comprehension-building activities in school that were usually boring and consisted of highlighting the important information in a reading passage (so not fun!). So I researched other ways of teaching this to students, including various oral and collaborative activities that were more "fun" and interactive instead of just using a highlighter. Anyway, we adapted my thesis to incorporate 21st century skills. In my opinion, this label "21st century skills" is really just a new buzz-word in education that doesn't mean a whole lot. I guess it consists of teaching students to think critically, read for understanding, collaborate with others, etc. Basically, the goals of teaching anyway. They just have a new fancy label for it now. So we wrote this article, submitted it to a journal, and it was rejected with major corrections. I was not surprised by this at all; in fact, I was really expecting a rejection. Getting published is difficult anyway, and when you throw into the mix the fact that we adapted a 30-page thesis into a 3,000 word article in less than a month, on a topic that I didn't really understand in the first place, it's no wonder it was rejected. I figured that it was over; I wasn't too crazy about getting published (not a particular goal of mine), and on top of that I knew that Ellie would be born this fall anyway and figured I wouldn't have time to continue to pursue that endeavor. I put it out of my mind. We had a meeting scheduled in August to discuss the corrections made to our article, but I had to cancel because of Ellie's birth. We then rescheduled for this month and met yesterday. We looked over things and talked about ideas, but I still don't know where this is going. We are scheduled to present something in March at the Virginia State Reader's Association conference, but we don't even have an idea of what we're talking about yet. I just don't know where this is going, and it's difficult for me to participate since it's been 8 months since I even looked at my thesis, let alone the article we submitted for publication. Not sure where it's going to go, but I guess we'll see.
On a completely different and lighter note, I wanted to share what I'm currently reading. About a month ago I tried reading Ted Dekker's Circle series (Black, Red, White, and Green), which ended up being an amazing series that I couldn't put down. It was the first time I read anything by Ted Dekker, so I was very surprised at how good his books were. I am now reading Sinner, which is related to the Circle series. It's a great book! Definitely recommend it or the Circle series to anyone looking for a great can't-put-it-down reading experience.
Personal:
My final section for the day will be about what I have learned personally and spiritually this week. It's another long story, but basically Billy and I talked about how we each need more encouragement from each other. I thought I was the victim and that Billy was ignoring me, but in reality I was doing the same thing to him and we were both suffering because of it. It's amazing how easy it is to get caught up in your own thoughts and problems and completely forget about how your partner feels. Billy and I have very different personalities, but when it comes down to it, we both need the same thing in order to feel loved: encouragement. I need to know that what I do here at home is worthwhile and appreciated. I hate doing all of the chores and making our house clean and not getting a word of appreciation out of Billy. But at the same time, Billy needs to know that his hard work (10 hours a day) and commitment to providing for our family is worthwhile and appreciated. If I just act like it's his job and his responsibility to provide for us without thanking him for it, I am doing the thing I hate, which is not appreciating his efforts. After we talked about it and realized how we were both lacking in this area, I realized how important it is for me to not just check off things on my list every day, like doing my chores, reading the Bible and having devotions, and getting every little thing done. I really need to remember how important it is for me to encourage Billy in everything he does. This passage really helped me understand and take it to heart:
Shopping:
I had great success this week with finding more deals at Target. I already told you about my Glade holiday scents purchase where I got a $5 gift card for buying 5 products. In this week's ad, there was an offer for a free $10 gift card for any new or transferred prescription. I've been using Walgreen's for my prescription just because of the convenience, but I pay more there than I used to at Walmart. I wasn't completely sure if it would be cheaper at Target, but I figured it couldn't be any more expensive, so I transferred my prescription in order to get the $10 gift card. It turns out that my prescription is $2 cheaper at Target and they have the actual medicine I was prescribed instead of a similar one, which is what Walgreen's was giving me. So I paid $9 for my medicine and got a $10 gift card. I was very excited!
I read on Money Saving Mom about a Target coupon for $10 off 3 pairs of pajama bottoms. If you aren't familiar with Target coupons, you can visit their coupons website here. Target offers both store and manufacturer coupons on their website, which you can then print from your computer (much like Coupons.com). So I was at Target last night to pick up my prescription, and I just happened to look around the store for a while before leaving. I noticed there were a lot of pajamas on clearance, some of which were long pants (I had read about someone getting a great deal on clearance shorts with the coupon, but I wasn't interested in buying shorts this late in the year). After realizing that the pants were decently priced, I went home, printed the coupon, and went back to Target (I was determined to get this over with!). The pants were originally $9.99 each, on sale for $6.89 each. I used the $10 off 3 pairs coupon, and ended up paying $3.83 for each pair. Remember the gift cards I got this week? I used those to pay for my purchase. So in all, I actually got these pants for free with my gift cards from Target, but even if I did pay for them, I got 3 pairs of pajama pants for $11.49. I love pajamas and really wanted some new ones...and I definitely like the flannel/cotton kind. I felt very accomplished with my purchase.
I bought groceries Monday night, and spent $40. I got all the basic necessities for the week (milk, bread, etc.) and also bought a few things for next month. Kroger had the Stouffer's frozen lasagnas on sale for $5 each (usually they're closer to $7), and I used a $2 off coupon if you bought two, so I bought 2 lasagnas for $4 each. It's sad, but the few times I've made homemade lasagna it's taken so much time and it hasn't even been that great. Therefore, lasagna is our easy-dinner night. So I've got those in the freezer for either my monthly meal plan or an emergency dinner night. I also bought a bag of Ore-Ida hash browns for next month, since I make the Cheesy Potato Casserole at least once a month, and they were on sale this week. I also saved 10 cents on gas again this week because of the Kroger fuel points...but I still paid $2.64 per gallon. It's amazing how expensive gas is!
Cooking:
This week as I was making the Chicken & Rice Bake for dinner, I realized that I often grow very fond of certain items in my kitchen. Last week I discovered the glories of Nutella, which I am still having a love affair with. This week, I decided my favorite item of the week is Cavender's Greek seasoning. My Poppaw introduced me to it...I really don't know where he bought it, since I couldn't find it when I went grocery shopping, but it must be at either Food Lion or Kroger, since those are his favorite places to shop. I really like meat to be seasoned with something...I used to be a plain Jane when it came to food, and now I really enjoy full flavors. This seasoning is great on just about everything...chicken, beef, pork, vegetables, etc. I really like it on chicken and potatoes. It's a basic all-purpose seasoning, containing salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, and some other stuff which they don't divulge on the label ("five other spices" is all it says...so if you have any allergies, I wouldn't recommend it). Anyway, this stuff is great (a little spicy in excess, which is what I prefer), so if you're looking for something new that can stand on its own in the world of seasonings, this is it.
Academic:
Even though I graduated back in May, I am still involved in attempting to publish a rewritten version of my Honors thesis. It's a long story, but basically my committee chair for my thesis decided it would be a good idea for me to adapt what I had written into a journal article and either present it at a state conference or publish it in an academic journal. We worked on it all through student teaching, which was difficult for me to balance, but we finally came up with something and submitted it to a journal. My thesis was originally written on teaching reading comprehension skills to students in the elementary grade levels. I love reading, and I am very passionate about helping others learn to love it, too. My thesis wasn't anything new; it was really a culmination of many different strategies that can be used with young students to help develop comprehension skills. I myself never really had a problem with this as a student, but I remember doing comprehension-building activities in school that were usually boring and consisted of highlighting the important information in a reading passage (so not fun!). So I researched other ways of teaching this to students, including various oral and collaborative activities that were more "fun" and interactive instead of just using a highlighter. Anyway, we adapted my thesis to incorporate 21st century skills. In my opinion, this label "21st century skills" is really just a new buzz-word in education that doesn't mean a whole lot. I guess it consists of teaching students to think critically, read for understanding, collaborate with others, etc. Basically, the goals of teaching anyway. They just have a new fancy label for it now. So we wrote this article, submitted it to a journal, and it was rejected with major corrections. I was not surprised by this at all; in fact, I was really expecting a rejection. Getting published is difficult anyway, and when you throw into the mix the fact that we adapted a 30-page thesis into a 3,000 word article in less than a month, on a topic that I didn't really understand in the first place, it's no wonder it was rejected. I figured that it was over; I wasn't too crazy about getting published (not a particular goal of mine), and on top of that I knew that Ellie would be born this fall anyway and figured I wouldn't have time to continue to pursue that endeavor. I put it out of my mind. We had a meeting scheduled in August to discuss the corrections made to our article, but I had to cancel because of Ellie's birth. We then rescheduled for this month and met yesterday. We looked over things and talked about ideas, but I still don't know where this is going. We are scheduled to present something in March at the Virginia State Reader's Association conference, but we don't even have an idea of what we're talking about yet. I just don't know where this is going, and it's difficult for me to participate since it's been 8 months since I even looked at my thesis, let alone the article we submitted for publication. Not sure where it's going to go, but I guess we'll see.
On a completely different and lighter note, I wanted to share what I'm currently reading. About a month ago I tried reading Ted Dekker's Circle series (Black, Red, White, and Green), which ended up being an amazing series that I couldn't put down. It was the first time I read anything by Ted Dekker, so I was very surprised at how good his books were. I am now reading Sinner, which is related to the Circle series. It's a great book! Definitely recommend it or the Circle series to anyone looking for a great can't-put-it-down reading experience.
Personal:
My final section for the day will be about what I have learned personally and spiritually this week. It's another long story, but basically Billy and I talked about how we each need more encouragement from each other. I thought I was the victim and that Billy was ignoring me, but in reality I was doing the same thing to him and we were both suffering because of it. It's amazing how easy it is to get caught up in your own thoughts and problems and completely forget about how your partner feels. Billy and I have very different personalities, but when it comes down to it, we both need the same thing in order to feel loved: encouragement. I need to know that what I do here at home is worthwhile and appreciated. I hate doing all of the chores and making our house clean and not getting a word of appreciation out of Billy. But at the same time, Billy needs to know that his hard work (10 hours a day) and commitment to providing for our family is worthwhile and appreciated. If I just act like it's his job and his responsibility to provide for us without thanking him for it, I am doing the thing I hate, which is not appreciating his efforts. After we talked about it and realized how we were both lacking in this area, I realized how important it is for me to not just check off things on my list every day, like doing my chores, reading the Bible and having devotions, and getting every little thing done. I really need to remember how important it is for me to encourage Billy in everything he does. This passage really helped me understand and take it to heart:
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:11-18
I am learning so much about how to be a good wife, and I realized that it's not all about cleaning and cooking and taking care of Ellie, but that it also has a lot to do with how I interact with Billy and how I encourage him on a daily basis. It's definitely something I'll have to work on, but we're both trying to get better at this.
~Blessings to you and yours.....Kristen
Monday, November 15, 2010
Target and CVS Trips
So I haven't gone grocery shopping yet (there are NOT enough hours in a Sunday!) but I did go out to grab some deals at CVS and Target yesterday.
Target always has these promotions where you buy a select number or value of specific items and you can get a bonus gift card (usually $5 or $10). I've never bought anything because usually I don't need more paper towels or toilet paper, but this week one of their promotions is Glade holiday scents. If you buy 5, you get a $5 gift card. I love Glade candles so I decided to splurge a little. I bought two oil candles and three 4 oz. jar candles. Each item was on sale for $2.50. I had a coupon for $1 off two oil products and another for $1.50 off two jars. After using my coupons, I spent $10.38 and got the $5 gift card, so really it's like I spent $5.38 on five Glade candle products. Pretty excited....now I've got all these great Christmas scents to try!
Next I went to Michael's...no crazy great deals there, but I really needed a small basket for our bathroom. Billy and I have a few toiletry items we use daily and don't have enough space for in the cabinet (without making everything fall out every time we open the cabinet). These few items take up the very small amount of space on our bathroom sink, and also get wet on the bottoms and just make a huge mess on the sink, which I then have to clean constantly. I'm all about organization (Ellie has at least 7 baskets/containers in her room to keep things under control) so I decided to get a basket for our bathroom. Went to Michael's, and it just so happened that baskets were on sale (I think 40% off). So I spent about $3.50 on a perfectly-sized basket for our bathroom. And it matches with our decor (what little we have going on in there) =). So excited!
Lastly, I went to CVS. No major amazing deals, but I definitely got some things I needed and saved quite a bit of money. According to the CVS receipt, I saved $23.59 (but you can never really trust those things, since drugstores have big markups on items compared to places like Wal-Mart). Anyway, first I bought a big Colgate toothpaste ($4.99) and did Buy One, Get One Free plus a $1 off coupon on 1. Then, I bought Right Guard deodorant ($2.99) and got $1 back in Extra Bucks, plus used a BOGO coupon. Then, I bought 4 jars of Ragu, 1 Skippy peanut butter, and 1 jar of Bertolli alfredo sauce (if you spent $10 in select items, you got $3 in Extra Bucks). At checkout, my total before coupons came to $21. Then I used a CVS coupon for $4 off a $20 purchase (got this for signing up for ExtraCare emails). Then I used my other coupons and ended up spending $11.53, so I saved $10 in coupons and got the $4 in Extra Bucks....so really it was like spending $7.53 on 2 Colgate toothpastes, 2 Right Guard deodorants, 4 jars of Ragu, 1 jar of Bertolli, and 1 Skippy peanut butter. Pretty exciting, it was definitely a big purchase for me at a drugstore compared to other times I've shopped (buying 1 or 2 items at a time). Now I am better stocked on toiletries and pasta sauce (which we use constantly...and I never buy Ragu, it's considered a splurge).
I've made my grocery list for the week, but just didn't have the time to go out to Kroger yesterday. It's so hard for me to take Ellie shopping...every now and then she'll sleep through the whole trip, but that is not the norm and she usually ends up crying a lot if I stop to look at something. Usually I have to try to continually move the stroller or cart while trying to read the label on something or look for my coupons, which is just a major hassle. Billy watched Ellie yesterday while I went out, which was a huge blessing because I was able to make very quick runs into the stores without have to bust out the stroller and all that. I'll probably go to Kroger tonight (MUST go before Tuesday, which is senior citizen's day, where they buy out everything that is on sale and nothing is left for Wednesday). Hoping to not spend over $50!
I've been thinking a lot about my current stage of life and how I was really dreading staying at home this year. It sounds terrible, but my image of a stay at home mom's life was not a pretty one....never getting a shower, staying in pj's all day, cleaning 24/7...it was a bad assumption, but mine nonetheless. Before Ellie was born, I actually cried a little about not have a teaching position this year. I spent 4 years of my life preparing for teaching, and in my last semester found out that I would be having a baby instead (in September of all times, which would mean that I would never find a school that would hire me). But I sucked it up and figured, "I can get a job next year, it's only one year at home." I am happy to say that God has really worked on my heart and completely changed my thoughts and feelings on this subject. I now LOVE being a stay at home mom...it's not all roses and rainbows, but it's the best thing I've ever done and definitely the most rewarding time of my life. I thought I would miss teaching....but I don't. I'm actually starting to battle with my emotions about having to find a job next year....I sometimes think, "Can't I just stay home again?" So far, I don't think that's in God's plan, but God surprises us all of the time (staying in Lynchburg, Ellie, Billy's job....etc.). Who knows what we'll be doing next year, but I am so grateful that God has changed my heart and taught me how to find fulfillment as a stay at home mom. I have a whole year to raise Ellie and watch her grow, and in my spare time I can accomplish tasks I thought I would never have time for (couponing, blogging, making my homemaking tasks more organized and manageable). This time last year, we usually had a sink full of dishes, dog hair EVERYWHERE (considering we had 2 dogs at that time), laundry piled up and nothing to wear...etc. Now, there's maybe a bowl and a bottle in the sink, a blanket in the hamper, and hardly any dog hair (I can't completely eradicate it!). I've had the time to make my house a home I can be proud of, and I've found a way to use my teaching skills so that I still feel fulfilled and proud of what I've done at home. I've learned to praise the Lord and thank Him for this amazing opportunity. This is certainly the most rewarding and fulfilling time of my life!
Blessings to you and yours....Kristen
Target always has these promotions where you buy a select number or value of specific items and you can get a bonus gift card (usually $5 or $10). I've never bought anything because usually I don't need more paper towels or toilet paper, but this week one of their promotions is Glade holiday scents. If you buy 5, you get a $5 gift card. I love Glade candles so I decided to splurge a little. I bought two oil candles and three 4 oz. jar candles. Each item was on sale for $2.50. I had a coupon for $1 off two oil products and another for $1.50 off two jars. After using my coupons, I spent $10.38 and got the $5 gift card, so really it's like I spent $5.38 on five Glade candle products. Pretty excited....now I've got all these great Christmas scents to try!
Next I went to Michael's...no crazy great deals there, but I really needed a small basket for our bathroom. Billy and I have a few toiletry items we use daily and don't have enough space for in the cabinet (without making everything fall out every time we open the cabinet). These few items take up the very small amount of space on our bathroom sink, and also get wet on the bottoms and just make a huge mess on the sink, which I then have to clean constantly. I'm all about organization (Ellie has at least 7 baskets/containers in her room to keep things under control) so I decided to get a basket for our bathroom. Went to Michael's, and it just so happened that baskets were on sale (I think 40% off). So I spent about $3.50 on a perfectly-sized basket for our bathroom. And it matches with our decor (what little we have going on in there) =). So excited!
Lastly, I went to CVS. No major amazing deals, but I definitely got some things I needed and saved quite a bit of money. According to the CVS receipt, I saved $23.59 (but you can never really trust those things, since drugstores have big markups on items compared to places like Wal-Mart). Anyway, first I bought a big Colgate toothpaste ($4.99) and did Buy One, Get One Free plus a $1 off coupon on 1. Then, I bought Right Guard deodorant ($2.99) and got $1 back in Extra Bucks, plus used a BOGO coupon. Then, I bought 4 jars of Ragu, 1 Skippy peanut butter, and 1 jar of Bertolli alfredo sauce (if you spent $10 in select items, you got $3 in Extra Bucks). At checkout, my total before coupons came to $21. Then I used a CVS coupon for $4 off a $20 purchase (got this for signing up for ExtraCare emails). Then I used my other coupons and ended up spending $11.53, so I saved $10 in coupons and got the $4 in Extra Bucks....so really it was like spending $7.53 on 2 Colgate toothpastes, 2 Right Guard deodorants, 4 jars of Ragu, 1 jar of Bertolli, and 1 Skippy peanut butter. Pretty exciting, it was definitely a big purchase for me at a drugstore compared to other times I've shopped (buying 1 or 2 items at a time). Now I am better stocked on toiletries and pasta sauce (which we use constantly...and I never buy Ragu, it's considered a splurge).
I've made my grocery list for the week, but just didn't have the time to go out to Kroger yesterday. It's so hard for me to take Ellie shopping...every now and then she'll sleep through the whole trip, but that is not the norm and she usually ends up crying a lot if I stop to look at something. Usually I have to try to continually move the stroller or cart while trying to read the label on something or look for my coupons, which is just a major hassle. Billy watched Ellie yesterday while I went out, which was a huge blessing because I was able to make very quick runs into the stores without have to bust out the stroller and all that. I'll probably go to Kroger tonight (MUST go before Tuesday, which is senior citizen's day, where they buy out everything that is on sale and nothing is left for Wednesday). Hoping to not spend over $50!
I've been thinking a lot about my current stage of life and how I was really dreading staying at home this year. It sounds terrible, but my image of a stay at home mom's life was not a pretty one....never getting a shower, staying in pj's all day, cleaning 24/7...it was a bad assumption, but mine nonetheless. Before Ellie was born, I actually cried a little about not have a teaching position this year. I spent 4 years of my life preparing for teaching, and in my last semester found out that I would be having a baby instead (in September of all times, which would mean that I would never find a school that would hire me). But I sucked it up and figured, "I can get a job next year, it's only one year at home." I am happy to say that God has really worked on my heart and completely changed my thoughts and feelings on this subject. I now LOVE being a stay at home mom...it's not all roses and rainbows, but it's the best thing I've ever done and definitely the most rewarding time of my life. I thought I would miss teaching....but I don't. I'm actually starting to battle with my emotions about having to find a job next year....I sometimes think, "Can't I just stay home again?" So far, I don't think that's in God's plan, but God surprises us all of the time (staying in Lynchburg, Ellie, Billy's job....etc.). Who knows what we'll be doing next year, but I am so grateful that God has changed my heart and taught me how to find fulfillment as a stay at home mom. I have a whole year to raise Ellie and watch her grow, and in my spare time I can accomplish tasks I thought I would never have time for (couponing, blogging, making my homemaking tasks more organized and manageable). This time last year, we usually had a sink full of dishes, dog hair EVERYWHERE (considering we had 2 dogs at that time), laundry piled up and nothing to wear...etc. Now, there's maybe a bowl and a bottle in the sink, a blanket in the hamper, and hardly any dog hair (I can't completely eradicate it!). I've had the time to make my house a home I can be proud of, and I've found a way to use my teaching skills so that I still feel fulfilled and proud of what I've done at home. I've learned to praise the Lord and thank Him for this amazing opportunity. This is certainly the most rewarding and fulfilling time of my life!
Blessings to you and yours....Kristen
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Quick Update
After going out yesterday and doing my shopping, I felt like I had to share it with you readers....this keeps me motivated!
So I spent $40 on groceries yesterday which should get us through the week. Also, I bought 3 boxes of Kleenex tissues at CVS for 89 cents each, plus had a 50 cents off 3 coupon (so about 73 cents each). I also went to Walgreen's and bought a 4-pack of Schick disposable razors. They are normally $6.99 and were on sale for $5.99. I had a $3 off coupon, plus $1.50 in Register Rewards, so in all I spent $1.79 on them, plus got another $3 in Register Rewards on my next purchase. Billy thinks I'm obsessed with saving money now (he never would have said that before!).
Also, I wanted to respond to some questions I have been asked about how I plan my meals and where I get ideas from. Basically, I started by looking through the cabinets and figuring out what stuff we already had (this took some time and I had to get creative with a few items) and I tried to plan meals around those initial ingredients (like manwich sandwiches, chicken and rice, pork chops, and the southwestern chicken skillet). Next, I looked through my personal collection of recipes, most of which are from my mom, and basically planned to make each of those things (so that took up a big chunk of the month)--things like goulash, pot roast, salmon cakes, etc. I had about five days left and couldn't think of what to make, so I opened up the Betty Crocker cookbook and tried to find some new things (like chicken tetrazzini, chili, etc.). I was pretty selective about the Betty Crocker recipes....a lot of times those recipes can be very involved and require a lot of ingredients and time, which I don't have. I really had to look through the entire cookbook before I could find enough easy and inexpensive recipes. It took a whole day of planning for me to get the calendar complete, but once it's done I don't have to think about it for the rest of the month!
I also wanted to share the recipe for what we had for dinner last night. It was a new meal we've never tried before, but I loved it and Billy didn't complain (so that must mean something, right?). This recipe came from the Minute brown rice box, so nothing fancy here!
Southwestern Chicken Skillet
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 lb. chicken breasts
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup thick and chunky salsa
- 1 pkg. (10 oz.) of frozen corn (I used the southwestern frozen corn, which has peppers in it)
- 2 cups Minute brown rice (or any instant brown rice)
- 1/4 cup or more of shredded cheese
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken and cover. Cook 4 min. on each side or until cooked through. (This took me a lot longer than 4 min. on each side).
3. Remove chicken and set aside. Add water, salsa, and frozen corn to skillet; mix well and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in rice (uncooked). Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 5 min. Top rice mixture with chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and simmer 5 min.
This was a super easy and quick dinner; most of the prep work can be done in advance so everything is ready to go when you're ready to start dinner. It was great to have something different that tasted good; a lot of times my new creations don't turn out so well!
Enjoy the beautiful fall weather!
Kristen
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